2026-2027  What an AWESOME start! 

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE......

Updates from Dr. White 

Week of September 4, 2026

A Week Worth Celebrating!

What a wonderful week of celebrating in our schools! The release of our state accountability data gave us so many reasons to be proud, but I want to highlight something bigger than simply our progress since COVID.

While many districts are highlighting how far they have come since the pandemic, Martin County Schools has made tremendous progress since COVID—but our story is even bigger than that. Across most areas of student achievement, we are reaching the highest levels we have seen in more than a decade. In several measures, we are at our highest levels since 2016, 2017, or 2018.

Martin County Schools is performing better than it has in more than a decade—and, in many ways, better than ever. For only the second time in history... WE ARE NO LONGER A LOW PERFORMING DISTRICT! 

That matters because I want our community to know and believe in the opportunities we are creating for children right here in Martin County. I want families to see Martin County Schools as a viable, competitive, and exciting option for their children. This week's data release was a huge part of telling that story.

Graduation Rate

Our graduation rate is something this district should be incredibly proud of. We do not have a graduation rate recorded this high in our history. From what I have seen so far, this rate is also higher than any surrounding district. I will conduct a formal analysis this week and share exactly where we stand compared with other districts.

This achievement did not happen by accident. A tremendous amount of strategic planning, out-of-the-box thinking, and intentional work went into creating alternative learning environments that produced successful outcomes for our children. We have also worked incredibly hard to change the culture of our high school, and that work is apparent in our graduation rate.

Three B Schools!

And then there are our schools!

For the first time in Martin County history, we have a B school—not just one, not just two, but THREE!

That is remarkable.

Riverside Middle

The progress at Riverside Middle School also deserves to be deeply understood and celebrated. Just a few years ago, Riverside was an F school. For perspective, an F designation is tied to an overall score below 40. Last year, Riverside had an overall score of 45. This year, that score increased to 60.

Even more impressive, the school exceeded growth, placing its growth performance in approximately the top 5–10% of schools in the state. That is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to the remarkable work, leadership, and commitment of the Riverside team last year.

South Creek Elementary

South Creek Elementary School also reached a 53—the highest achievement score in the school's history! Another remarkable accomplishment and another reason to celebrate the incredible work happening across our district. 

Interventions 

But we are not stopping with celebration. We are using this data to drive what happens next.

Interventions are slated to begin at all of our schools this week. We are using End-of-Grade data, in addition to Beginning-of-Grade data, to sort students into academically relevant groups. This allows us to meet children where they are, provide the support they need, and continue the push to raise achievement across our entire school system.

Our Message

The message I want our Board and our community to hear is simple:

We are moving. We are improving in historic ways. And Martin County Schools is doing things we have not done in more than a decade—and, in many ways, things we have never done before.

We should celebrate this moment, but we should also recognize what it represents: the power of intentional leadership, a strong Board of Education, strategic planning, great teachers and staff, strong school leadership, and a relentless belief in what our children can accomplish.

There is so much more to build, and I am excited about where we are going.

Board Spirit Wear

I am also looking at purchasing shirts for all Board members. I would like to get everyone a jersey-style shirt. These are true jersey material but fit true to size. If you would like to size up so that yours fits larger, please let us know. Otherwise, we will order your true-to-size fit.

These shirts will give us another opportunity to show our school spirit at special events, celebrations, conferences, and throughout the year!

High School Brick Samples 

We will be reviewing brick samples this week for the new high school. We are looking at Thursday morning at 9:00 AM as the tentative date and time.

Please let me know which Board member, or two Board members, would like to attend. I will confirm the date and time once it is finalized with Mr. Barrath.

Again, Thursday at 9:00 AM is tentative at this point. I will send confirmation once everything is finalized.

Additional Construction Updates

Martin County Schools has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for material testing and special inspection services for the new high school project.

This general statutory requirement is the process of acquiring an independent third-party inspection service to test and verify the structural aspects of the building, including, but not limited to:

• Subgrade and soil testing

• Concrete testing – compressive strength

• Grout strength – masonry

• Steel weld inspections

• Truss decking

These highly detailed inspections occur separately from the building inspections conducted by the county.

The RFQ also provides an important layer of independent oversight for the project. By engaging a third-party inspection firm that is accountable directly to Martin County Schools, the district has an independent party responsible for verifying that materials and construction meet the required standards, specifications, and applicable codes. This helps provide the school district with an additional level of assurance, transparency, and accountability throughout construction.

This process is included as part of the overall budgeted $62,000,000 project.

Multi-Classroom Leader Grant

We have applied for the Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL) Grant, which would provide teacher leaders with an additional $7,000–$10,000 per year to coach and lead multiple classrooms. This creates an opportunity for our highest-quality teachers to extend their impact beyond a single classroom and positively influence more students across our schools.

Just as importantly, the MCL model creates a leadership pathway for teachers without requiring them to leave the classroom. Teachers can grow as instructional leaders, support their colleagues, and earn additional compensation while continuing to teach.

We partnered with Opportunity Culture, an organization that specializes in supporting the implementation of Multi-Classroom Leader models across school districts. If awarded, this would be a three-year opportunity for Martin County Schools.

We expect to hear whether we were awarded the grant in October. This is an exciting opportunity to continue building leadership capacity within our schools and ensuring that great teaching has an even greater impact across our district.

Second Needs-Based Consolidated Construction Grant- Let's Build a NEW EJH!!! 

I will present at the September 10 County Commissioner meeting to request the County’s signature and approval for Martin County Schools to apply for the second Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund Grant.

We must have the County’s approval in order to submit the application, and the application window is very limited. It is expected to open in early September and must be submitted by October 2.

We are already well underway with the grant application. I am working closely with Mr. Birath and Ashley Moseley, the same architect I worked with on the first successful grant application. I greatly appreciate Ashley’s willingness to partner with us a second time, especially since our Board ultimately selected a different architecture firm for the project.

We are moving quickly to ensure we are prepared to submit a strong application within the limited application window.

EJ Hayes: Understanding the Challenge and Moving Forward

I also want to speak candidly about EJ Hayes Elementary School. While we have so much to celebrate in this year's data, EJ Hayes is an area where we have significant work to do. The school’s letter grade declined from to a 39.3, resulting in an F designation this year. 

EJ Hayes is beginning this school year with new staff, new leadership, and a new vision for the school. This is important because the school has experienced many years of the same patterns and challenges, and in some ways, staff and the school have been in that environment for a very long time. When a school has struggled for an extended period, it can be difficult to break away from established patterns and create meaningful change.

That is why I see this year as an opportunity for a fresh start. We have an opportunity to establish new expectations, create a new culture around teaching and learning, and give our students and staff a renewed sense of what is possible at EJ Hayes.

This week, we also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from East Carolina University’s Community Schools division. Community Schools is a grant-supported model that provides a full-time community liaison for the school, along with additional resources for parent engagement, innovative strategies, and other supports designed to strengthen the school and its connection with families and the community.

ECU is very interested in Martin County Schools because of the movement they have seen across our district. While their Community Schools model typically requires a year-long planning process, following our meeting and seeing what we already have in place, their team has agreed to go back and discuss whether they could consider implementing the model at EJ Hayes as early as November.

If they agree, this could be a significant step forward for EJ Hayes.

I believe this is exactly the kind of opportunity we need to pursue. Improving EJ Hayes will require a comprehensive approach that goes beyond what happens inside the classroom. We need to strengthen the partnership between the school, families, and community; make academics a clear priority; increase family engagement; provide parents with strategies and support; strengthen behavior expectations and supports; and build a culture where every child is encouraged and expected to succeed.

The data has shown us where we need to focus. We now have new leadership, a new vision, and the potential for new partnerships and resources to help us move forward.

Our goal is not simply to change an F to a different letter. Our goal is to change the trajectory for EJ Hayes students and give the school the support, leadership, resources, and community partnerships necessary to produce lasting academic improvement.

I am very encouraged by the direction we are heading and by ECU’s interest in partnering with us. This is an important potential step forward for EJ Hayes, and I will keep the Board updated as we hear back from their team.

Economic Development Building and Conference Room

I want to make the Board aware of a concern regarding our use of the conference room at the Economic Development end of the building. We have recently been asked to pay to rent the conference room each time we need to use it, which can cost several hundred dollars per use. I have expressed my concerns about this arrangement to Steve Biggs and have also asked that this matter be brought before their Board in September. I want to be very clear that Steve has been a tremendous supporter of Martin County Schools, and I value the relationship we have with him and with Economic Development. I have no desire to do anything that would jeopardize that relationship, however this is a larger issue that they board needs to be aware of. 

Martin County Schools leases the entire end of the building to Economic Development at an exceptionally low rate, while also providing significant additional support. We handle maintenance for the space, including recently replacing a $24,000 air-conditioning unit, provide technology services that cost the district thousands of dollars each month, and have also covered a portion of the electric costs since their operation began. Given the level of support we provide, I believe it is reasonable for us to expect access to a conference space within a building we own, particularly as our Early College has grown significantly and space throughout the campus is increasingly limited. We need this conference room periodically for bus driver training, principals' meetings, and other district needs. I want to be a good partner with Economic Development, and I am not looking to take an unnecessarily adversarial approach. However, we are reaching a point where we need greater access to the space we own and support. I am asking that any Board members who have relationships with or a place at the Economic Development Board share these concerns as appropriate. 

If we are unable to reach a reasonable solution and continue to be asked to pay substantial fees to use space within our own building while providing extensive support to the organization, we may eventually need to consider whether the current lease arrangement remains in the best interest of Martin County Schools and seek legal guidance regarding our options. Our goal is simply to find a fair and reasonable arrangement that allows us to continue being a good community partner while also protecting the resources and space our school system needs to serve students. Please let me know your thoughts. 

REVIEW

Week of August 31, 2026

Board Members,

What an incredible first week of school for Martin County Schools! I want to begin by thanking our students, families, teachers, administrators, and support staff for helping us launch the 2026–27 school year with such positive energy. There is a tremendous amount of excitement across our schools, and I am proud of the work taking place throughout the district.

A Strong Start to the School Year

Our first week has been filled with energy, excitement, and a strong focus on instruction. Our principals and school leadership teams have been highly visible in their buildings, welcoming students and staff and establishing expectations for the year ahead.

This year, we are continuing to emphasize that every day matters, every student matters, and every classroom matters. Our focus remains firmly aligned to our 2029 strategic priorities—graduation, proficiency, growth, attendance, and the parent and family experience.

Staffing Update

I am pleased to report that 100% of our core instructional vacancies are now filled. This is a significant accomplishment heading into the school year and reflects the tremendous work of our Human Resources team and school leaders.

We continue to monitor staffing closely and are working to ensure that our schools have the people and resources necessary to provide students with a strong instructional experience.

State Accountability & Data

This week will be an important one for accountability data. North Carolina DPI is expected to officially approve the state's accountability data on Thursday, September 3, at approximately 11:20 a.m.

Please meet us at Martin County Middle School at 11:00 AM if you would like to join in on the celebration! We will leave there and go to RES, and then to  MIEC, and last to WPS. 

We have been closely monitoring our preliminary data and are excited about what this year's results could mean for our students, staff, and community. Our schools have worked extremely hard over the past several years to build stronger instructional systems, and we are eager to see that work reflected in the official results.

Once the data is officially released and approved, we will provide the Board and community with a comprehensive look at our district and school-level results.

Enrollment & ADM

We are also closely monitoring enrollment as we begin the new school year. North Carolina's current “Best 1 of 2” ADM approach is particularly important during this time of year. DPI compares the first two months of average daily membership by grade and uses the higher enrollment month for many state allotment calculations.

This approach helps protect districts from temporary fluctuations in enrollment at the beginning of the school year, but it also makes our enrollment monitoring especially important as we work to ensure that Martin County Schools receives the staffing and resources to which we are entitled.

Instructional Focus

Our school leaders are beginning the year with a clear focus on instructional visibility and support. While formal instructional walkthrough cycles begin in Week 2, administrators are expected to be in classrooms daily this week—observing instruction, supporting teachers, and ensuring that students are engaged in meaningful learning.

We are continuing to build the systems necessary to move all of our schools toward our goal that every school meets or exceeds growth.

Capital Projects & EJ Hayes Elementary

One of the most significant next steps before the Board is the opportunity to pursue a new EJ Hayes Elementary School consolidated with Williamston Primary School on the EJ Hayes campus.

The grant application process has officially opened, and applications are due no later than October 2, 2026. Given the significant opportunity this funding presents for our students and community, I am requesting that the Board move forward with an application for a new consolidated elementary school.

We held a preliminary meeting last week to begin discussing the application process, timeline, and next steps. I have also reached out to Drew Vats to request an opportunity to present Martin County Schools' application at the next Commissioner meeting.

This is an important opportunity to strategically address our aging facilities, consolidate resources, and create a modern elementary learning environment for students and families. We will continue working through the details of the proposal and will bring additional information to the Board as we move toward the October 2 deadline.

New Martin County High School

Work continues to move forward on our new Martin County High School project. This $62 million project represents an extraordinary opportunity for our students and community and comes at no cost to the district or county through the awarded grant funding.

Heavy construction is scheduled to begin in January, with construction targeted for completion in December 2028. We remain focused on maintaining the project timeline and ensuring that this facility will serve Martin County students for generations to come.

A Leadership Reminder as We Celebrate Our Success

As we move into a week where we anticipate sharing some very positive results, I want to offer a reminder to our Board and leadership team. With positive results and increased public attention, unfortunately, we can also expect an increase in negativity on social media.

We know our community remains divided in many ways, and unfortunately, when our success is publicized, I am sure there will be those who choose to focus on the negative. I ask that we remain aware of this, keep it moving, and not allow negativity to distract us from the work.

The results speak for themselves.

Our responsibility is to continue to let our light shine—to celebrate our students and staff, share the great things happening in our schools, and remain focused on becoming the very best school system we can be for the children of Martin County.

We have an opportunity to use this moment not simply to celebrate achievement, but to continue uniting our community and moving Martin County Schools forward in a big way. Let’s stay focused, stay positive, and continue to lead with purpose.

Looking Ahead

This is an exciting time for Martin County Schools. We have begun the year with strong momentum, our core instructional positions are filled, our schools are focused on instruction, and we are preparing to receive official accountability results later this week.

At the same time, we are looking strategically toward the future—not only in instruction and student achievement, but also in the facilities and opportunities we provide for our students.

Most importantly, our people are showing up each day with a clear sense of purpose. The theme of our work this year—Built on Purpose—is more than a theme. It is a commitment to being intentional about how we serve students, support staff, engage families, and build the future of Martin County Schools.

Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and schools. I am proud of the work our team is doing, excited about what lies ahead, and grateful to have a Board committed to moving Martin County Schools forward.

Review from Last Week 

Don't forget to share your PURPOSE

FINAL STAFF CHALLENGE: BUILT ON PURPOSE!

This is the final challenge for the Battle for the Paddle! Staff have been challenged to share the information below on social media and tag MCS. The school with the most participation from their staff will win the points for this challenge. I would love for our board members to participate! See below-

Martin County Schools, it’s time to show us WHAT YOU’RE BUILDING!

This year, we are BUILT ON PURPOSE—and every one of us is building something that matters for our students, our schools, and our community.

HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE:

Complete this sentence:

“This year, I’m BUILDING ON PURPOSE to create __________ for our students.”

Maybe you’re creating confidence.
Maybe it’s belonging.
Maybe it’s curiosity.
Maybe it’s opportunities.
Maybe it’s champions.
Maybe it’s dreams.
Maybe it’s simply a place where every child knows they matter.

Explain your answer and tell us what you are intentionally building for our students this year.

Now make it YOURS!

OPTIONAL: Take a photo showing what you’re building. Get creative! Grab a hard hat, toolbox, blueprint, building blocks—or simply show us YOU doing what you do best!

Post your message on Facebook and/or Instagram by Monday, August 31st at 5:00 PM, tag Martin County Schools, and use:

#BuiltOnPurpose
#MartinCountySchools

Every staff member who participates earns ONE POINT for their school toward the Battle for the Paddle 2026!

Let’s show the world what Martin County Schools is building.

We’re not just starting another school year.

We’re building futures.
We’re building possibilities.
We’re building champions.

Martin County Schools… WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING ON PURPOSE?

School Safety & Emergency Preparedness

Martin County Schools continues to make school safety and emergency preparedness a top priority. Recently, we held comprehensive safety meetings with the Martin County Sheriff and all MCS School Resource Officers (SROs) to review, update, and strengthen emergency procedures across the district. The team reviewed emergency plans, evacuation procedures, rally points, reunification sites, communication protocols, and response procedures for a variety of potential emergencies. Our goal is to ensure that our plans are not only comprehensive, but also practical and immediately actionable when seconds matter.

In addition to our online emergency plans, which have been shared with local law enforcement, we have implemented a new Emergency Response Binder system at each school. These binders provide administrators and front-office staff with printed, easy-to-access procedures to follow during specific emergencies, including situations such as bomb threats, tornadoes, evacuations, and other critical incidents. Having these procedures immediately available at the point of need eliminates the need to search for information during an emergency and can save critical time when every second counts.

We are also moving forward with the installation of Knox Boxes at every school. The Sheriff has committed to helping us secure these systems, and we are currently working through the process of obtaining and installing them. Knox Boxes are secure exterior lockboxes that allow authorized law enforcement personnel to access a school key during an emergency. This is the current recommended approach and will replace the outdated black boxes previously used at our schools, providing law enforcement with faster access to our buildings when needed.

MCS will also continue our use of weapon detection systems, particularly at our middle and high schools. We utilize these systems at some elementary schools as well, although they are not currently deployed at every elementary entrance. We will continue actively pursuing grants and other funding opportunities to expand these safety measures and support additional security enhancements throughout the district.

Finally, significant progress is being made on our secure entrance projects. This has been a lengthy process requiring architectural planning and close collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to ensure that designs meet all necessary requirements. Those plans are now moving forward, and construction could begin as early as the Christmas break at several schools.

School safety requires constant attention, collaboration, and investment. We are committed to continually reviewing our procedures, strengthening our partnerships with local law enforcement, pursuing available funding, and making strategic improvements to ensure that every MCS school is as safe and prepared as possible for our students and staff.

NERSBA Update

I wanted to provide you with an update from last week's regional superintendents meeting and some information that I believe is important as we consider how Martin County Schools will respond to recent requests from NERSBA.

NERSBA attended the meeting to discuss their expansion plans and to ask for partnership and support from the region's public school districts. The presentation raised significant concerns among the regional superintendents.

Initially, representatives stated that NERSBA was not planning to move online. However, by the end of the meeting, they acknowledged that an online component could be part of their expansion. Similarly, they initially indicated that they were not expanding into grades 7 and 8, but later acknowledged that legislation had already been written that would allow for that expansion.

Needless to say, the regional superintendents were frustrated by the presentation and the changing information. While the meeting did not become hostile, it was clear that there was considerable concern and frustration in the room, and the NERSBA representative was eventually asked to wrap up the presentation.

Funding Concerns

One of the most concerning pieces of information involved how NERSBA will be funded.

We learned that because NERSBA is now being classified as a regional school, its funding will be based on the average ADM of the entire region, rather than the actual number of students enrolled at NERSBA.

For perspective, NERSBA currently serves approximately 150 students. Yet their funding calculation will include the ADM of much larger districts in our region, including districts such as Currituck, with approximately 6,000 students, and Beaufort, with approximately 5,000 students. We anticipate the regional average ADM used for their funding calculation could be around 3,000 students.

Think about the financial implications of that. They currently have 150 students, but will be funded for approximately 3,000. 

Traditional public schools are funded based on the number of children they actually serve. NERSBA, however, would be funded using an average based on the entire region because it is being designated as a "regional school." This is a significant funding disparity that deserves attention.

In fact, one school within our region has already lost funding for its early college program as a result of NERSBA's expansion, while NERSBA is receiving substantial state funding through this new regional model.

Request to Use MCS Fuel

This brings me to a request NERSBA has made of Martin County Schools: they have asked to use our fuel supply for their school buses.

During the meeting, it was also made clear that NERSBA is considering sending buses into other counties because they are now serving students across all 19 counties in the region. If that occurs, their fuel needs could increase significantly.

After discussing this with our leadership team, it is my recommendation that we do not approve NERSBA's request to use Martin County Schools' fuel supply.

This recommendation has been given to me by Emily Santora, Cynthia Mooring, and Thomas Barber, and there are several reasons:

• This is not a practice we are seeing other districts across the state use with charter schools.

• Our fuel tank is not large enough to comfortably accommodate NERSBA's needs in addition to our own transportation operation.

• If NERSBA begins sending buses throughout the 19-county region, their fuel consumption could increase substantially.

• Tracking and accounting for their fuel usage would create a significant administrative burden and could make it difficult to accurately separate their costs from MCS transportation expenses.

• There are potential liability and operational concerns associated with allowing another school system to use our fuel infrastructure.

• Our primary responsibility must be ensuring that we have adequate fuel available for Martin County students and our own bus fleet.

Emily has spoken with numerous finance officers at her recent regional conference, and the feedback was overwhelmingly clear that we should not enter into this arrangement. Our finance team is very concerned about the financial tracking and accountability associated with providing fuel.

From an operations standpoint, Thomas is also very concerned about the logistics of managing fuel access, tracking usage, and accommodating another transportation operation. Given the size of our current fuel storage, adding another fleet—particularly one potentially operating across a 19-county region—could create significant operational challenges.

We have also researched how other charter schools handle their fuel needs, and our understanding is that charter schools generally have the ability to obtain fuel through the state fuel system/state yards rather than relying on a local public school district's fuel supply.

That raises an important question: If NERSBA has access to those resources, why should Martin County Schools assume the operational responsibility for fueling their buses?

For these reasons, I strongly recommend that the Board consider declining NERSBA's request to use MCS fuel. This is not about being unwilling to partner or support other educational opportunities. It is about protecting our resources, ensuring we can meet our own transportation needs, and avoiding an arrangement that could create unnecessary financial, operational, and liability concerns for Martin County Schools.

I wanted to share this information with you in advance so that you have the full context as we determine our next steps and consider this request.

🏫 School Visits: A Great Start to the Year!

A big thank-you to the Board members who were able to visit Compass Academy and Martin Middle School on Friday! It was wonderful to see both schools looking so great and ready to welcome students.

We are especially thankful for our Maintenance Department and all of their hard work at Martin Middle. The fresh paint looks amazing, classrooms are ready, teachers have what they need in place, and the building was absolutely buzzing with excitement for the year ahead!

And Compass Academy is truly #NextLevel! 🚀 We are expanding opportunities for students with new electives, CTE offerings, work-ready certifications, and more. There is so much happening at Compass, and we are excited about the opportunities our students will have this year.

Gator Football

Reschedule for Monday, August 24 

7pm Kick-off

Gators vs North Pitt 

School Updates will begin NEXT Week 

Updates from District Directors and Coordinators will begin NEXT Week 

This Week in MCS at at Glance

Click this link to see the monthly calendar or check specific event details- https://www.martin.k12.nc.us/events?view=cal-month 

2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

CONGRESSMAN DON DAVIS VISITS THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!!

The future of Martin County is sitting in these classrooms. Students at Martin Innovative Early College are gaining hands-on experience in fields ranging from health care to agriculture while preparing for careers and opportunities right here in eastern North Carolina.

Meeting with these students and the educators who support them was a powerful reminder of what is possible when young people are given the tools, confidence, and encouragement to dream big.

IMPORTANT SCHOOL INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!

Weekly Initiatives/Weekly Happenings 

MCS Organizational Chart- Updated

Board Meeting Schedule